John A. Bers Associate Professor of the Practice Management of Technology Program Nov. 5, 2003 Vanderbilt University Sch

1. Senior Design Seminar Building the User into the Development Cycle John A. Bers Associate Professor of the Practice Management of Technology Program Nov. 5, 2003 Vanderbilt University School of Engineering

2. Performance – Can our product do what we claim? Applications – What will customers use it for? Market Awareness/Interest – Do they care? Receptiveness – Will they accept it? Preference – Will they prefer it to the competition? Features – What do customers want from our product? Pricing – How much are they willing to pay for it? Compatibility – Will it fit in with the user’s operations? Impact – What effects will it have on the user’s business? Reliability – Will our product hold up in the field? Support – What will it take to support our product? Timing – When will our product take off? What things don’t we know about our new product?

3. A “conversation” between developer and user. Design as an Iterative Process

4. As a partner/collaborator • Studies of User Operations • Trials • Rapid Prototyping As a source of information • Phone • Web survey • Interview • Focus Group The user as a partner and a resource

5. Knowledge - What they know, e.g., • about the product category • about your company and your product • Behavior - What they’ve done, e.g., • purchasing history • experience with various products • Attitudes - How they feel, e.g., • about you (satisfaction surveys) • how you compare to your competition • what’s important to them • (e.g., price vs. features) What Can You Learn from User Surveys?

6. What You ProbablyCan’t Learn from Surveys • Motivations - Why they feel and act as they do • Underlying customer business processes • Future Behavior • intentions and plans • behavior expected to depart radically from the past Beware the question starting with “Would…” !

7. Frequent, low-risk market incursions: use product itself as a market probe listen, observe market reaction vary, recalibrate the product shoot again Rapid Prototyping

8. Actual usage experience that cannot be captured by any other method Minimize/address “surprises” Impacts on the user’s business compatibility with existing operations unanticipated side effects measurable business and financial impacts User input/involvement in the design cycle What you can gain from observation and controlled trials

9. Implementing Rapid Prototyping • Target lead users (early adopters, innovators) Pre- Launch

10. faces needs today that the general market won’t face for months or years is able to benefit significantly from a solution to those needs may be an industry opinion leader (disproportionate influence) culture open to new technology The best prospect for user-innovator:the Lead User

11. Technology/Industry Textiles Financial Services Composites Parallel Processing Retailing Systems Medical Diagnostics Law Enforcement Lead User Milliken Citicorp Air Force Oil Industry Wal-Mart Teaching Hospitals FBI Examples of Lead Users... Best lead user may be outside your industry.

12. Implementing Rapid Prototyping Pre- Launch • Target lead users • Involve potential users early in the development cycle • Make product easy for users to try out • Start with peripheral or minor applications (reduce adoption risk)

13. Implementing Rapid Prototyping • Target lead users • Involve potential users early in the development cycle • Make product easy for users to try out • Start with peripheral or minor applications Pre- Launch Post- Launch • Design product for user to modify. • Encourage users to share their results with you.

14. Variables to be measured during the trial… Usage parameters Who, how, how much Results Problems (“surprises”) Business Impact Fit within the operations Impact on the business (ROI) Ancillary Needs Related unmet needs Opportunities for new products, extensions “Instrumenting” the Site

15. Network Operations Managers Result: information overload Network Maintenance Technicians Example of User-guided Design:The HP Network Advisor Users need more data, reports Help my users recover from crashes Result: HP Network Advisor

16. Product Objective: Real-time tracking of work-in-process, raw materials, components, inventory Business Objective: Catch defects, flag component shortages, keep supply chain taught Assignment: What would you want to learn from prospective users? How would you find it out? Exercise: Taking Palm to the Factory Floor

17. Helps establish design objectives The “who-what-when” of the target market Guides design tradeoffs e.g., price vs. features vs. performance Stimulates discovery of new directions and opportunities e.g., features, new applications, unsolved problems Let’s you home-in faster on what market will buy. Benefits of User Involvement

18. If you’re interested in working for a company that is working in the field of your design project… If you intend to take the project to market… If you want to develop and refine your skill sets in analyzing technology markets and developing market strategies… You may use the marketing course project to develop a market analysis and plan for your senior design project. Only one team member need enroll. A Spring ’04 course to considerMT242: Technology Marketinghttp://mot.vuse.vanderbilt.edu/marketing/